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among readers that are less than 40 years of age, who tend to use the internet in
favour of print media (Appendix 2, Zeitungsmarkt NRW, provides more detail on
the print media market).
Argument 7: A number of NRW media institutions have recently considered
integrating sustainability topics into entertainment TV and print/web 2.0 programming,
offering an opportunity to connect future activities to these developments.
Dealing with sustainability issues in media has a tradition that dates from the 1990s
in NRW. Although not the first region where sustainability issues gained significant
media coverage, NRW was a forerunner in one sense in by being first to taking
active steps to promote coverage of sustainability issues in the media, and particularly
so with respect to entertainment TV, print and web 2.0. The following presents
a number of NRW based institutions, organisations and media programs promoting
the communication of sustainability information: 12 :
Adolf-Grimme Institute (www.grimme-institute.de) is a leading German media institution
with a focus on sustainability issues. One research focus is sustainable television
programming. In 2007/08, the Adolf-Grimme Institute held a series of workshops
with public and private TV professionals on the integration of sustainability
topics in mainstream/entertainment television (see Clobes/Hagedorn 2008). 13 On
the positive side, the main finding arising out of these workshops was that TV professionals
are (1) very open-minded to the idea of integrating sustainability topics
into their programs and they see a demand on the part of audiences, (2) they emphasise
that there are many existing formats that offer a high potential to integrate
sustainability content. However, the workshops also suggest that media professionals
(3) see a lack of ideas for stories and dramatic concepts to communicate
sustainability topics, but recognise that the strong connection to everyday experiences
of consumers can offer some potential for storyline development, and (4)
see a need for support to create storylines dealing with sustainability issues.
Netzwerk Zukunft Lernen/Projektgruppe Medienkompetenz (www.aktion-zukunftlernen.de)
(Network Future Learning/Project group media competencies) is a university
based networking organisation funded by the NRW government that began
in 2006. The aim of the initiative is to foster activities in the field of education for
sustainable development in NRW. The project group “media competencies” was
initiated in February 2009 to disseminate and promote sustainability information
12 An overview of NRW media institutions can be found in Appendix 3.
13 The TV professionals came from six different TV broadcasters (WDR, RTL, Eyeworks, ZDF, ProSieben,
UFA Entertainment), from which three are situated in NRW (WDR, RTL and Eyeworks).
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